Tube cutter



July 18, 1950 E. R. CAPEWELL TUBE CUTTER Filed Feb. 1'7, 194'? Fig.2.-

Fig.5

III C Fig. 4.

INVENTOR Eugene H. Gapewel/ BY, {1 a ATTORN EAY Patented July 18, 1950 UNITED "erres TUBE CUTTER.

EugeneR. Capewell, Moores town, N. J'. ApplicationFebruary 17, 1947, Serial No. 729,006

7 I (01. ro -102) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to tools, adapted to cuttingpipe or non-ferrous tubing, and specifically soft and hard copper tubing commonly used in refrigeration, automotive and lumbing installations.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and effective tube cutting device adapted to one hand operation, and in which the pressure applied may be constantly controlled during the oscillation of the tool to prevent, undue distortion and burring of the tube while being out.

Another object of this invention is to provide composite tube cutting roller cutter assemblies that are substantially cylindrical, each of the said rollers co-acting to maintain their respective faces level with the surface of the tube being cut, and permitting the cutting member to be protruded to sever the tube.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cutting means that will assure ninety degree severance of a tube under all conditions in which the device may be used.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the specification as is hereinafter fully disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, taken on line a-a in Figure l, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line b-b in Figure 1, and

Fig. i is an end elevation of a tube cutter assembly, and,

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken on line cc in Fig. 4.

Reference characters indicate the same parts in the several drawings.

In the practice of the invention as hereinafter exemplified, the frame or housing portion, as shown in Figure 1 consists of members I and 2, preferably stamped from "Sheet metal, the wheel carrying lever member 2 being pivotally disposed in the frame or housing portion I by means of a suitable pin 3.

A conventional Spacing member (not shown) is provided in the frame I and secured in position by means of a screw it to hold the respective roller cutter assemblies at 5 and s in proper spaced relationship with each other, and to provide an aligning support for the lever member 2 to prevent lateral movement of said lever when cutting pressure is applied. See Fig. 3 showing the bearing surface of the parts I and 2.

A composite roller cutter assembly as shown in Fig. 5v comprises a central circular cuttin wheel or disc. 1 having; projectinghubs 3 on both sides thereof, and has mounted. thereon resilient annular members 9 made of suitable resilient material which may be rubber as is shown in the drawing, or of steel fiat wound spiral such as the balance spring in a clock, and each of the resilient members 9 has mounted thereon acutter housing comprising an internally flanged steel roller It in ring form whose periphery is exactly the same diameter as that of the cutting wheel 1.

Composite housed roller cutter assemblies such as are described and shown in Fig. 5 do not necessarily need to be made with extending hubs on the circular cutting member l. The resilient annular members a may be mounted directly on the pins or shafts I I, and the internally flanged steel rollers II] are mounted on the resilient as previously described. The assembly may also be mounted on a rotatable bushing which in turn rotates on the pins or shafts II. Any of these assemblies achieve protrusion of the circular cutting wheel in direct proportion to the pressure applied to the roller cutting assembly.

The composite housed roller cutter assemblies are mounted in the frame or housing member I and the lever member 2 upon pin members II which are suitably heat treated to resist wear and are secured in the respective parts i and 2 by threaded ends which enter threaded openings and are held by lock nuts I2 to prevent lateral movement or becoming loose.

In the operation of the device the pipe or tube I3 to be cut is gripped between the three circumferential roller cutter assemblies which immediately align the tool at a ninety degree angle to said tube and the slight pressure applied in gripping the tool while oscillating same scores the tube by reason of the yielding roller members it allowing the circular cutters I to protrude beyond the face of the rollers in direct proportion to the applied pressure without afiecting the roller contact with the tube.

The cutting operation is sensitively controlled by the operator to produce a out having a minimum of distortion and burr. The pressure necessary to cutting varying degrees of hardness may readily be determined by the resistance offered by such pipes or tubes. The device may be used under any conditions that permit one hundred and fifty degrees of oscillation regardless of the position of the pipe or tube to be cut, and with the assurance that the tube will be cut square with its axis even though conditions PATENT orr cs do not permit close examination of the tube for determining the accuracy of the final cut.

The many advantages of thisinvention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, particularly those who are called upon to alter or repair existing installations.

What is claimed as the invention and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A tube cutting device comprising a plurality of separate cutter assemblies circumferentially spaced around a tube to be cut, each cutter assembly including a disc cutter mounted on an axis adapted to be moved by pressure radially inwardly and around the tube for rolling disc edge cutting contact therewith, and a tube engaging roller of the same diameter as the disc cutter resiliently mounted with respect to the cutter.

2. A tube cutting device comprising a plurality of separate cutter assemblies circumferentially spaced around a tube to be cut, each cutter assembly including a disc cutter mounted on an axis adapted to be moved by pressure radially inwardly and around the tube for rolling disc to the cutter.

4 edge cutting contact therewith, a, tube engaging roller ring coaxial with the cutter and mounted on the same axis as the cutter, and a resilient mount between said roller ring and axis.

3. A tube cutting device including a disc cutter rotatable around the circumference of a tube to be cut and movable by pressure radially inwardly to cut the tube, a tube surface engaging roller associated with the cutter and of a substantially equal diameter therewith, and means for resiliently mounting said roller with respect EUGENE R. CAPEWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 338,716 Conner Mar. 30, 1836 870,951 Goodholm et al Nov. 12, 1907 2,007,122 Briegel July 2, 1935 

